Conventional residential exterior doors typically include one or more manual, keyed deadbolt locks. These locks function through extension and retraction of a sliding bolt, which extends between the door and the adjacent doorframe when in a locked position, thereby preventing opening of the door. The interior of each lock is provided with a series of cut pins, the location of each cut corresponding to the height of the teeth disposed on a complementary key. When the proper key is inserted into a lock, each pin is raised by the corresponding tooth of the key inserted below, such that the cuts in each of the pins align, allowing manual rotation of the lock to retract the bolt. While deadbolt locks are generally regarded as an effective security measure, both due to their durability and due to the fact that a unique key is required to operate the lock, manual locks also suffer from a variety of difficulties and inconveniences. For example, modern keys are small in size, and can be readily lost or stolen, requiring any associated locks to be rekeyed to ensure security. Manual operation of a keyed lock can also be cumbersome, such as when attempting to carry objects into a residence, or when rapid entry is necessary, such as during inclement weather or when confronted by a potentially dangerous individual or animal.
Remote and/or keyless entry systems have become more prevalent as technology has advanced, with use of unique remote signals to actuate a lock providing comparable security to that of a key. Most remote entry systems have been restricted to vehicles, safes, and industrial applications, while residential uses have been limited due to the expense of such a system and the specific manufacturing requirements of differing door, lock, and remote system manufacturers. No convenient, inexpensive, and reliable method exists for after-market installation of remote entry systems on existing doors.
Remote entry systems are often encumbered by a limited range, due to ineffective antennae and similar receiving mechanisms. Conventional remote entry systems also require bulky and unsightly external wiring, motor housing, and electrical components. Additionally, many remote entry systems utilize battery power sources, which can unknowingly become depleted, and which require frequent, potentially costly replacement. Further, while some remote entry systems provide an audible signal when a lock is engaged or released, conventional systems provide this audible signal to the interior of a structure, mitigating the effectiveness of the signal when exiting the structure and remotely engaging the lock.
A need exists for a remotely actuatable locking system that overcomes the deficiencies of conventional remote entry systems by enabling use of powerful exterior antennae, components installable within the body of a door, structure-based power supplies, an audible signal produced external to the structure, or combinations of these features.
A need also exists for a method for forming doors that are able to accommodate after-market installation of a remotely actuatable locking system, usable with any type of locking mechanism.
The present invention meets these needs.
The depicted embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the listed Figures.